Landlords at sex-toy pub face tough fight to keep their licence

THE landlords of a pub where sex toys were used to prop open windows will find out next week if it will lose its alcohol licence.

Police are demanding the closure of the Travellers Rest, in Church Gresley, which the force claims has been blighted by trouble in recent years.

The force says it "has no option" but to call for the licence to be revoked following a series of incidents in and outside the premises.

In a report seen by members of South Derbyshire District Council's licensing committee, Superintendent Gary Parkin said on one of two occasions, an item resembling a sex toy was spotted by the seven-year-old daughter of a local resident, who asked her parents what the object was.

Police say the pub, in New Street, has become a hotbed for crime over the last decade.

PC Rich Morley told a licensing committee that 90% of alcohol-related crime surrounding licensed establishments in Church Gresley in recent years centred around the pub.

He also spoke of numerous occasions when police had been called to the pub, including a mass brawl involving more than 60 people, and said that living near it had become "a nightmare" for residents.

He said: "The level of incidents got to such a point that almost daily the police are being contacted about levels of noise, drink-fuelled violence and general unruly behaviour. This is at any time of day, not necessarily at night."

Licensees Andy and Sharon Kinch said they did not deserve to lose their licence as they only took over the reins in January, but the police insisted the pair had plenty of time to turn the pub's fortunes around.

It also failed a test purchase recently in which a youngster was sent into the pub by police to request alcohol.

In an attempt to prevent the pub's closure, Mr and Mrs Kinch have suggested having restrictions imposed on their licence, including having staff undergo alcohol awareness training.

Previously, Mr and Mrs Kinch said: "The police have not had to be called for anything which has happened in the pub since we have been here."

The couple also said the item resembling a sex toy belonged to a tenant who rented a room at the pub.